Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières Rasteau “Coudouliere”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Sourced from the Roux family’s 13 hectares of vines grouped at “Ratanaud” at the top of the hill that shares the valley of the Aygues and Ouvèze.
- These old vines planted in the brown marls, covered with pebbles, enjoy the summer of cooler nights due to the altitude (+ 360m). This is a no holds barred, wild ride of a Rasteau.
- Due to the altitude (+1100 foot), the vines enjoy freshness during the night and many sunshine hours during the day increasing the complexity of the wine, already high because of the soil.
Varietal Composition: 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault
Elaboration: The gobelet pruned vines are all hand-harvested, only the best grapes are picked at perfect maturity. The grapes are destemmed and enjoy a long maceration of over 30 days with temperature control, pumping over and cap-punching. Most is done by gravity, the grapes, juice and wine are handled with the utmost care. The aging takes place partly in concrete tank, and partly in French oak barrels. The combination of the two makes this wine more complex, and the barrel aging softens the tannins.
Tasting Notes: Intense dark red cherry color, clean and shiny. The nose is elegant and complex, revealing aromas of black fruit such as blackcurrant, mulberry and blueberries, mixed with mild spices, garrigue and candied orange, finishing with a soft touch of oak sweetness. The mouthfeel is rich, fine and concentrated, embedded in some roundness. The long finish brings black cherries, chocolate, some peppers, fine tannins and menthol.
PRESS
2020 – 91 Decanter
ABOUT THE WINERY
Domaine Notre Dame des Pallières is a very old family estate, whose name comes from a place of pilgrimage visited by the Provençal people in the middle ages who believed that the fountain on the property would protect them from the plague.
Claude Roux and his cousin Jean-Pierre have so many generations of Gigondas wine making experience in their family that they don’t know exactly how many of their relatives have been involved up to now – Antique writings suggest that this Domain existed in the 900’s. Fortunately this tradition is continuing with Claude’s children, Isabelle and Julien, gradually taking over the day to day responsibilities of farming, production, and administration.
Vineyard holdings total 74 acres in Gigondas, Sablet, and Cotes du Rhone.
When asked about their methods they smile and explain that they are simply following the traditional methods of the family members that came before them.